Owning The Coast

Santa Cruz Vibes Media, LLC
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business

Owning The Coast is your weekly deep dive into the people, places, and possibilities that make Santa Cruz one of the most inspiring places to live. Hosted by real estate pro Brandi Jones, mortgage and market expert Ryan Buckholdt, and insurance specialist Jerry Seagraves, the show blends their unique expertise with candid conversations and dynamic guests. Each week, you’ll hear stories that go beyond property lines — from navigating the local housing market to discovering hidden trails, tasting the best bites in town, and meeting the entrepreneurs, artists, and community leaders shaping the coast. Whether you’re a long-time local, a newcomer, or dreaming about making Santa Cruz home, Owning The Coast offers the insights, inspiration, and insider knowledge you need to thrive in life and living by the sea.

  1. 2d ago

    Tricia Mogensen and Jenny Keck: Branding That Actually Scales

    Insurance, mortgages, real estate, branding, and marketing all collide in one very real problem: the details you ignore are the ones that cost you the deal or stall your growth. We start with what’s happening on the ground right now, a flood of homeowners insurance quote requests and the growing chaos behind the scenes. When roof age, plumbing updates, and electrical details get entered wrong, buyers can lose the house they thought they had. Even flood insurance gets misunderstood fast, especially when someone shows up with a confident AI generated message that doesn’t match the property. Then we bring on Tricia Mogensen and Jenny Keck, the Santa Cruz creative duo behind Opposite of East, to unpack how strong brands are actually built. They share how their studio uses brand strategy, consulting, design, photography, and website direction to create work that looks different for every client. Their “chameleon” approach is the opposite of cookie cutter marketing, and it’s rooted in one idea: humans connect with humans, so your business has to feel like a person with a point of view. We also get honest about the hardest part for founders: scaling. Word of mouth can build a business, but it rarely builds systems. We talk marketing budgets (often 5% to 10% of gross revenue), why strategy keeps inspiration focused, and what to do when you’re too busy to market at all. Sometimes the right move is retention marketing and hiring marketing, not more leads. If you’re building a founder led business in Santa Cruz or anywhere else, this is a practical listen with real examples and plenty of hard earned clarity. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share the episode with a business owner who needs structure, and leave a review if the ideas help you grow.

    52 min

  2. 2d ago

    Reggie Trimingham: Real Estate Video That Sells

    If you’ve ever wondered why some real estate videos make you lean in while others feel like a slideshow with music, this conversation nails the difference. We sit down with Reggie Trimingham from LocalShot, a Santa Cruz-based real estate videographer and marketer who’s built a reputation for making homes feel cinematic without losing the point: helping buyers and clients trust what they’re seeing.  We get into the real process behind a great listing video, from figuring out whether you’re optimizing for YouTube search or Instagram scrolling to shaping a vibe that matches an agent’s brand. Reggie breaks down what’s actually working now in YouTube SEO, why transcripts and retention matter more than tags, and how thumbnails can decide whether anyone clicks at all. We also talk about why “going viral” is often the wrong goal for local real estate marketing and what to focus on instead.  Then we go deep on AI in marketing, including the real-world frustration of AI hype fatigue and the practical ways these tools can still help with editing, transcription, admin, and scaling a small business. Along the way, Reggie shares how cycling and travel shaped his creativity, including a months-long bike trip across Japan that reset how he thinks about work and life.  If you care about real estate marketing, video production, personal branding, and the future of AI-powered content, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend in the industry, and leave us a review with your biggest question about real estate video.

    43 min

  3. 2d ago

    Felicia Van Stolk: Santa Cruz Nature Meets Real Life

    53,000 canceled escrows nationwide and then a Santa Cruz multiple-offer sale that blows past list price, that’s the whiplash we’re all living in right now. We start with what we’re seeing on the ground, from interest rates and appraisals to the very real “tension in the air” buyers and sellers bring into every conversation, and then we pivot to a different kind of local indicator: who’s still showing up for the place we live.  Felicia Van Stolk, executive director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History (the Whale Museum to locals), joins us to explain how a natural history museum becomes a community engine, not a dusty memory from third grade. We talk Santa Cruz roots, her path from marine biology to environmental education, and why the museum is leaning hard into programs that bring people together around shared curiosity, from bird walks and native plants to art and scientific illustration. She also breaks down what national museum accreditation means behind the scenes and why it’s a big deal for trust, funding, and long-term impact.  We get practical about the future too: the Bright Future Project expansion, an interim downtown location, and how “mobile museums” bring specimens into schools and community events so the mission doesn’t pause. We also dig into museum funding, including philanthropy, memberships, volunteering, and planned giving, especially as federal support shrinks and local support matters more than ever. Subscribe, share this with a Santa Cruz local, and leave a review, then tell us what would make you walk through the museum doors this month.

    45 min

  4. Jun 18

    Integrative Healing That Actually Works

    Your body is not a collection of disconnected problems, and Dr. Loki Doan makes a strong case that your care should not be disconnected either. We sit down with the founder of One Kinetic in Santa Cruz to talk about integrative medicine that blends Eastern medicine wisdom with Western tools that actually move the needle on recovery, energy, and longevity. We start with Loki’s story, from leaving Vietnam as a child to growing up in Pittsburgh and eventually finding his way to Santa Cruz, where the ocean, martial arts, and healing all converge. That backdrop sets up his core philosophy: real health is built through daily practice, not last-minute rescue. He breaks down Eastern medicine as lifestyle medicine through six pillars: diet, movement, sun, sleep, stress management, and the soul, then explains how qigong and breath can help you “drop in” and reset your nervous system. From there we get hands-on and specific. We talk acupuncture as “body electrician” work, how points get chosen, what the “qi” sensation feels like, and why the forced stillness of a session can be its own kind of medicine. Loki also explains fire cupping step by step, then we pivot into peptide therapy basics, what stacking means, and why getting guidance beats gambling on research peptides online. We close with hormone balancing across life stages, including perimenopause and menopause, plus Loki’s ongoing focus on precision medicine, optimal health, and longevity. If you got value from this, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a reset, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

    51 min

  5. Jun 18

    Estate Planning Made Simple With A Living Trust

    Owning The Coast

    48 min

  6. Jun 2

    Kentucky Mule: Building A Dance Floor Community Through Americana

    Your phone can show you a thousand perfect lives in a minute, but it can’t replace the feeling of locking eyes with a stranger on a dance floor. We talk with Bill on bass, Lizzie on fiddle, and Coleton on guitar and vocals about building an Americana sound in Santa Cruz that’s designed for movement, not just background listening. They share the real origin story: a Western Wednesday cover night sparks a lineup that refuses to part ways, then the band’s originals take over. We get into the craft of songwriting and collaboration, from how a halftime switch can rescue a shaky draft to why some musicians write in bursts and others build songs out loud on long commutes with voice memos. The conversation also goes deeper than music: what Santa Cruz means when you love the place but feel the frustration of housing, inequity, and the “vacation town” myth, and how those tensions show up in lyrics like “Old Joe.” Then we dig into story songs like “Reno Cure,” inspired by the little known history of women traveling to Reno to divorce and reclaim autonomy. We also talk day jobs and real service work, including veteran services, PTSD counseling access, and why resources can feel impossible to navigate without a clear hub. Along the way, we make a case for live music, Western swing, and community dance culture as an antidote to the algorithm, a way to get out of the scroll and back into your body. If you’re craving live music in Santa Cruz, Americana country that feels alive, and practical places to plug into the scene, press play and come dance with us. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a night out, and leave a review with the last show that made you feel present.

    52 min

  7. May 22

    Chris Ellis Shares The Risky Decision That Turned A Gym Vision Into A Local Landmark

    He had four months to secure one of the best pieces of real estate in Santa Cruz, and the only way forward was a bet that could wipe him out. We talk with Chris Ellis, owner of Santa Cruz Athletic Club, about the behind-the-scenes decision to go all in, why he chose to build with Santa Cruz based architects and contractors, and what it takes to create a gym that feels premium without feeling intimidating. If you’ve ever wondered how a local business earns real buzz before the doors even open, this story gets into the uncomfortable, human part of entrepreneurship. Then it gets even more personal. While the club is still being built, Chris is hit with valley fever and ends up in the ICU. He shares what it’s like to nearly lose everything mid-build, and how Camille steps in to run the operation and keep the vision alive. That experience shapes the club’s core message: recovery is not an add-on, it’s a pillar of performance, health, and long-term progress. We also dig into the recovery center side of modern fitness, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), contrast therapy with sauna and cold plunge, red light therapy, and vibroacoustic tools that support sleep and stress relief. Finally, we break down what actually makes a gym feel safe and welcoming, especially for women: staff culture, consistent greetings, clear rules, and leadership that backs the team while still delivering great customer service. Subscribe for more real conversations with the people building Santa Cruz, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

    39 min

  8. May 14

    Carolyn Rudolph: What If Gratitude Is The Secret Ingredient

    A legendary Santa Cruz noodle spot isn’t just built on recipes. It’s built on how you treat people, how you source your food, and what you believe a meal is actually for. We sit down with Carolyn Rudolph, the owner of Charlie Hong Kong, and follow the path from the Summer of Love and early organic food movement to a restaurant that many locals treat like an institution. Along the way, we talk about soil health, real nourishment, and why the “farm to table” idea should come with actual gratitude for the workers and systems we rarely see.  Carolyn shares what it takes to keep an organic restaurant in Santa Cruz consistent while food costs rise and the pressure to raise prices never really goes away. We get into the way Charlie Hong Kong designs food for digestion and nutrition, why “how you eat” matters as much as what you eat, and how slowing down can change the whole experience of a meal. There’s also a deep look at culture and leadership: putting employees first, building a workplace people return to, and keeping that spirit alive through COVID and constant change.  The conversation turns personal as Carolyn opens up about her husband’s Parkinson’s disease, deep brain stimulation, and what they’ve learned about dopamine, movement, dancing in the kitchen, and the healing power of love and connection. We wrap with a simple but challenging question that stays with you: who are the invisible people at your table, and how often do you thank them?  If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a Santa Cruz friend, and leave a review so more people find the show. What’s one small act of gratitude you can practice today?

    58 min
See All (28)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Owning The Coast is your weekly deep dive into the people, places, and possibilities that make Santa Cruz one of the most inspiring places to live. Hosted by real estate pro Brandi Jones, mortgage and market expert Ryan Buckholdt, and insurance specialist Jerry Seagraves, the show blends their unique expertise with candid conversations and dynamic guests. Each week, you’ll hear stories that go beyond property lines — from navigating the local housing market to discovering hidden trails, tasting the best bites in town, and meeting the entrepreneurs, artists, and community leaders shaping the coast. Whether you’re a long-time local, a newcomer, or dreaming about making Santa Cruz home, Owning The Coast offers the insights, inspiration, and insider knowledge you need to thrive in life and living by the sea.

Information

  • Creator
    Santa Cruz Vibes Media, LLC
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Owning The Coast
  • Show Website
    Owning The Coast